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N.C. House Advances Sweeping Abortion Restrictions

N.C. House Advances Sweeping Abortion Restrictions

July 12, 2013 — The North Carolina House on Thursday passed antiabortion-rights legislation that would give Gov. Pat McCrory's (R) administration wide power to regulate abortion clinics in the state, the New York Times reports (Blinder, New York Times, 7/11).The measure now advances to the Senate (Brumfield, CNN, 7/11).

The measure would allow the state's
Department of Health and Human Services to "apply any requirement"
that applies to ambulatory surgical centers to abortion clinics, as long as the
regulations do not impede access to abortion.

The bill also would require a physician to
be present while the first drug used in a medication abortion is administered (New
York Times, 7/11). It also
includes restrictions on insurance coverage of abortion (CNN, 7/11).

Shift From Senate Approach

The legislation is distinct from an omnibus
antiabortion-rights measure the state Senate passed last week. The chamber
approved that bill after senators attached several antiabortion-rights
provisions to an unrelated measure, prompting outrage among
opponents and a veto threat from McCrory. State House Republicans decided to
develop their bill in conjunction with McCrory's administration and hold a
public hearing (New York Times, 7/11).

McCroy could still veto the House
legislation, although there are enough conservative votes in the House and
Senate to override a veto, according to CNN (CNN, 7/11).

Debate Continues

State Rep. Ruth Samuelson (R) -- the bill's
sponsor -- said the legislation "is really all about protecting the health
and safety of women." She added, "We are not here trying to shut down
every abortion clinic in North Carolina."

However, opponents said the legislation
could be used to restrict access to abortion services. State Rep. Jean
Farmer-Butterfield (D) pointed out that the bill "can still close clinics
in North Carolina, depending on what the [health] department decides to
do."

State Rep. Rick Glazier (D) said, "To
an extreme legislative majority bent on eliminating the right to choice,
everything looks like a health regulation, ready to be used and abused to
dismantle access to that choice."

Samuelson said the public hearing yielded
"more debate and more opportunity for change and discussion and correction
than if we had followed the normal process" before voting on the bill,
while Glazier castigated the effort as a "rewrite by moonlight" (New
York Times, 7/11).

Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood spokesperson
Staci Fox said North Carolina's proposals and similar legislation in other
states are part of nationwide attack on women's reproductive rights.
"Bills like these have been introduced in 42 states," she said, adding,
"This is a whole new level of attack on women's health" (CNN, 7/11).